The federal government has closed its case against Walter Onnoghen, suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).

The government closed after calling three witnesses to the stand.

At the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Thursday, Aliyu Umar, counsel to the government, announced that they closed the case despite the fact that they had initially listed six witnesses.

Umar said the three other witnesses could still be called to the stand if the defence wants to cross-examine them.

“I have called three witnesses. If the defence needs them, I can call the other three,” the lawyer said.

Responding, Adeboyega Awomolo, counsel to Onnoghen, rejected the offer.

“I don’t want them, I don’t want them,” he said.

Awomolo then informed the tribunal that they intend to file a no-case submission but they would need time to write an address.

“We intend to take advantage of section 303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 on no-case submission,” he said.

“If your lordship permits me to write a written address. I’m praying to be given proceedings of 18th and today.”

Thereafter, Danladi Umar, CCT chairman, ordered Awomolo to serve his address on the prosecution on Wednesday.

Umar then fixed March 29 as day counsels would adopt their addresses.

Onnoghen is standing trial on a six-count charge bordering on false asset declaration.

nameo:
See the way Buhari FG is disgracing itself on this trial so far.

@Buharists, come and see o. The so called "foreign" accounts that the CJN alledgedly had are just domiciliary account and the so called dollars he has are loans gotten from a bank with his investments in shares and govt bonds as guarantees.

Ok o.....

escodotman:
ABUJA- The Federal Government, on Thursday,
closed its case against the suspended Chief
Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter
Onnoghen, after it produced only three
witnesses that testified before the Code of
Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
Though FG initially expressed its intention to
produce a total of six witnesses to substantiate
all the allegations it levelled against the
embattled CJN, however, shortly after the third
witness was discharged, the prosecution
counsel told the tribunal that it would be
unnecessary to call further witnesses.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Aliyu Umar, SAN,
told the tribunal that the defendant was at
liberty to summon any of the listed but
uncalled witnesses to testify on his behalf if he
so wished.
He was immediately overruled by the CCT
Chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar, even as
Onnoghen’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega
Awomolo, SAN, rejected the offer.
“This is the case of the prosecution. If it feels
that it is satisfied with evidence of the three
witnesses, then so be it”, the CCT Chairman
held.
Thereafter, Awomolo told the tribunal that the
CJN would in line with section 303 of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA,
2015, enter a no case submission with respect
to all the allegations FG levelled against him.
Awomolo, therefore, applied for record of
proceedings of the tribunal to enable his client
to file the necessary processes.
The case was subsequently adjourned till next
week Friday for hearing of the no-case
application by the embattled CJN, as well as for
adoption of the final written addresses.
[/b] Earlier in the proceeding, the third prosecution
witness, PW-3, Mr. Ifeoma Okagbue, a staff of
Standard Chartered Bank in Abuja, told the
tribunal that it was not true that the defendant
possessed either $1million or £1million in any
of the five bank accounts that necessitated the
charge.
Okagbue who told the tribunal that she started
managing Onnoghen’s bank accounts since
2015, gave a load down of both the opening
and closing balance of all the accounts from
January 2018 to January 2019.
She said the accounts were all linked to one
Bank Verification Code, BVN, adding that the
bank had upon securing an approval from the
defendant, diverted funds from the accounts
into various profit yielding ventures.
The PW-3 told the tribunal that profits that
accrued from the investments were credited
back into the accounts.
While two of the accounts are in Naira, the
three others were Pounds Sterling, Euro and
Dollar accounts.
The witness told the tribunal that all the
accounts were domiciliary, and were opened
and managed at the branch of the bank in Wuse
2, Abuja [b].
Before Mrs. Okagbue mounted the witness box,
the PW-2, who is a retired Director at the Code
of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Awal Yakassai, told
the Mr. Umar led three-man panel that
contrary to what was alleged in the media, he
said the suspended CJN owned only five
houses.
He said it was not true that CCB investigators
linked the ownership of 55 houses to the
defendant.
The witness made the disclosure after he was
shown copies of Justice Onnoghen’s asset
declaration forms, which the Federal
Government tendered in evidence before the
CCT.
The embattled CJN was said to have submitted
the forms marked as Exhibit 2 and 3, to the
CCB in 2014 and 2016.
Answering questions under cross-examination,
the PW-2, told the tribunal that he served at
the CCB for 29 years before he retired in April
2018.
He admitted that the CCB was yet to verify
Justice Onnoghen’s assets with a view to finding
out if he made false declarations.
Aside allegation that he failed to declare his
assets as prescribed by the law, FG had in the
charge marked CCT/ABJ/01/19, FG, alleged that
Onnoghen operated five foreign bank accounts,
contrary to section 15(2) of Code of Conduct
Bureau and Tribunal Act.
FG had insisted that it was the CCB that okayed
Onnoghen’s trial based on certain infractions
that were discovered in his asset declaration
forms.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/breaking-fg-closes-case-against-onnoghen-after-3-witnesses/
Lalasticlala

jericco1:
the suspension has served its purpose

Episteme2:
Nigerians, irrespective of party leanings, should condemn this kind of Justice and trial system in Nigeria. It's Onneghen today, you don't know whose turn it will be tomorrow. You don't convict someone in the media and then get confused in the law court. This man really has suffered all because his judicial disposition was a threat to APC's plan to rig the Presidential election.